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Badel, who lives at the back of the dairy with his family, retreated to the back of the shop and closed the door to protect himself and his family.

The robbers stole a large amount of tobacco and cigarettes before fleeing the scene in a stolen car, which they dumped about 600-700m away. The car had been taken from a Ngaruawahia address earlier in the day.

Badel said he was "a little bit scared" when it first happened, but was now feeling better, and business was "back to normal".

"This is the first time it's happened," he said.

Detective Russell Crawford, of Huntly police, said the stolen car, a blue/green 1997 Nissan Sentra hatchback, was dumped outside an early childhood centre in Brownlee Ave.

"This area is frequented by hundreds of people daily, including people who use the Hakarimata Summit Track steps as part of their fitness programme," he said.

The three offenders are believed to be aged in their late teens or early 20s, have skinny to medium builds, were all approximately 1.7m to 1.8m tall, wearing dark-coloured, long shorts, lighter-coloured hoodies, and had masks covering their faces.

Police are requesting assistance from members of the public who may have any information relating to the incident.

People with information are asked to contact Huntly Police on 07 828 7560 or give information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.